Best of the Year Discs for 2010

by | Jan 1, 2011 | Best of the Year | 0 comments

CLASSICAL, incl. Hi-Res, LPs & Classical Reissues

THOMAS ADES: Tevot; Violin Concerto; Three Studies from Couperin; Dances from Powder Her Face – Anthony Marwood, violin/ Berlin Philharmonic/Rattle /Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Ades & National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain/Daniel – EMI

Geza Anda, piano = HAYDN: Sonata in F Major, Hob.XVI:23; SCHUMANN: Symphonic Etudes; Carnaval; RAVEL: Valses nobles et sentimentales; LIEBERMANN: Klaviersonate; CHOPIN: Ballade in G Minor; 12 Etudes; BRAHMS: Intermezzo in E-flat Major – Hanssler (2 CDs) 94.211
BACH: The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 – The Roth Quartet/Sir Donald Tovey, piano – Divine Art 27804
BACH: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 – Stefan Vladar, piano – Preiser Records PR 90771
BARBER: Violin Concerto in A Minor (rev. edition, 1948); Commando March; Symphony No. 2 (orig. version) – Ruth Posselt, violin/Boston Symphony Orchestra/Serge Koussevitzky – Pristine Audio PASC 217
BEETHOVEN: The ‘Late’ String Quartets (Nos. 12 thru 16) – Tokyo String Quartet – Harmonia mundi multichannel SACD (3 discs) HMU 807481.83
BEETHOVEN: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 6 – German Chamber Philharmonic, Bremen/ Paavo Jarvi – Sony/RCA Red Seal Multichannel SACD 88697-542542
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major “Romantic” – Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/ Wilhelm Furtwaengler – Pristine Audio PASC 254
ANTON BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 4 in E flat major, ‘Romantic’ – Minnesota Orchestra /Osmo Vänskä – BIS multichannel SACD BIS SACD1746
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 7 in E Major – Frankfurt Radio Symphony orchestra/Paavo Järvi – Sony/BMG Red Seal multichannel SACD 88697389972
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor – Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra/Paavo Järvi – RCA Red Seal multichannel SACD 88697542572
The Busch-Serkin Duo: Public Performances and Broadcasts = Works of MOZART, BEETHOVEN, BACH, SCHUBERT, BRAHMS, SCHUMANN, BUSCH – Music & Arts (4 CDs)
CD-1244
The Celtic Viol II = An Homage to the Irish and Scottish Musical Traditions – Jordi Savall, Treble Viol and Lyra viol/ Andrew Lawrence-King, Irish Harp and Psalterium/ Frank McGuire, bodhran – AliaVox Multichannel SACD AVSA 98
“Vintage DAG WIREN”: Serenade for Strings; Concert Overture; Sonatina for Piano; Suite miniature; Cello Concerto; Sinfonietta & other works – soloists/Stockholm Radio Orch. & Goeteborg Sym. Orch./Tor Mann & Sixten Eckerberg – Caprice CAP 21761
DOHNANYI: String Quartets No. 1 and 3; Rural Hungarica – Kocian Quartet – Vaclav Bernasek, cello – Jaromir Klepac, piano. Praga Digitals multichannel SACD PRD/DSD 250 268
DUKAS: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice; RAVEL: Mother Goose Suite; KOECHLIN: The Bandar Log – Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra/ Marc Albrecht – PentaTone multichannel SACD PTC 5186 336 78
DVORAK: Symphony No. 6 in D Major; SUK: Sokol March; Serenade for Strings in E-flat Major – Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/ Vaclav Talich – Naxos Historical 8.112050
“GERSHWIN By Grofé” (Ferde Grofé’s original orchestrations and arrangements of Gershwin) – Lincoln Mayorga, piano/Al Gallordoro, reeds/ Harmonie Ensemble of New York/ Steven Richman – Harmonia mundi HMU 907492
Walter Gieseking, Volume 3 = SCHUMANN: Carnaval; Kinderszenen; Schlummerlied; Vogel als Prophet from Waldszenen; CHOPIN: Barcarolle in F-sharp Major; SCRIABIN: Poeme in F-sharp Major, Prelude, BRAHMS: Two Rhapsodies – Historical-Recordings HRCD 0048
HANDEL: Concerti Grossi,  Op. 6 – The Avison Ensemble/ Pavlo Beznosiuk – Linn Records multichannel SACD CKD 362 (3 discs)
“Harp Visions” – Lavinia Meijer – BRITTEN: Suite; PATTERSON: Spiders, Bugs; BYRNES: Visions in Twilight; YUN: In Balance; TAKEMITSU: Stanza II for harp & tape – Lavinia Meijer, harp – Channel Classics multichannel SACD CCSA 29709
IVES: String Quartet No. 1; String Quartet No. 2 – Juilliard String Quartet – Columbia/Sony Classical 77177
Julius Katchen, Vol. I = BACH: Partita No. 2 in C Minor; BEETHOVEN: 32 Variations in C Minor; Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major; Cello Sonata No. 5 in D Major – Julius Katchen, piano/Pablo Casals, cello/Bavarian Radio Sym. /Eugen Jochum – Doremi DHR-7936
ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD: String Quartets 1-3; Piano Quintet – Aron Quartet. Henri Sigfridsson, piano – CPO 777 436-2
Dinu Lipatti: Last Recital at Besancon = BACH: Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major; MOZART: Piano Sonata No. 8 in A Minor; SCHUBERT: Impromptu No 3 in G-flat Major, No. 3; Impromptu No. 2 in E-flat Major; CHOPIN: 13 Waltzes – Opus Kura OPK 7056
MAGNARD: Symphony No. 3 in B-flat Minor; D’INDY: Symphony No. 1 in G Major on a French Mountain Air – Robert Casadesus, piano/ Orch. de la Suisse Romande/Ernest Ansermet – Cascavelle VEL 3128
FRANK MARTIN: Suite from ‘Der Sturm’; Six Monologues from ‘Jedermann’; Symphonie Concertante – Thomas Oliemans, baritone – Stavanger Symphony Orchestra/Steven Sloane – MDG 901 1614-6 multichannel SACD
MARTINU: Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra; DORATI: Divertimento for Oboe and Orchestra; HOLLIGER: Sonata for Oboe solo. Yeon-Hee Kwak, oboe – Munchner Rundfunkorchester/Johannes Goritzki. MDG 903 1586-6 multichannel SACD
MENDELSSOHN: 200th Anniversary Tribute – NBC Symphony/Arturo Toscanini – Guild (2 CDs) GHCD 2358/59
Yehudi Menuhin and George Enescu = MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto in E Minor; DVORAK: Violin Concerto in A Minor; WIENIAWSKI: Legende in G Minor; BACH: Double Violin Concerto in D Minor – Dutton Vocalion CDVS 1916
MOZART: Symphonies Nos. 29, 31 “Paris”, 32, 35 “Haffner”, 36 “Linz” – Scottish Chamber Orchestra/ Charles Mackerras – Linn Multichannel SACD 350 (2 discs)
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor; Piano Concerto No. 26 in D Major, K. 537; Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major; Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major – Alicia de Larrocha/Ch. Orch. of Europe/London Philharmonic Orch./Solti – Decca (2 CDs) B0014538
MOZART: Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat, K 364; Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-flat, K 207; Violin Concerto No. 3 in G, K 216 – Lara St. John, violin/ Scott St. John, violin and viola/ The Knights/ Eric Jacobsen – Ancalagon Multichannel SACD ANC 136
Tatiana Nikolayeva = BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, “Pastoral”; SCHUBERT: Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960; Impromptu No. 3 in G-flat Major – Tatiana Nikolayeva, piano – BBC Legends 4268
RACHMANINOV: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor; Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor = Shura Cherkassky, piano/Gothenburg Symphony Orch./ Sergiu Comissiona (Op. 18)/Sten Frykberg (Op. 30) – Cembal d’amour CD 155
STEVE REICH: Double Sextet; 2 x 5 – Eighth Blackbird/Bang on a Can – Nonesuch 524853-2
Reiner Rarities = MENDELSSOHN: A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Overture; Scherzo; Nocturne; Intermezzo; Wedding March; GLUCK: Dance of the Blessed Spirits from Orfeo ed Eurydice; LISZT: Totentanz; TCHAIKOVSKY: 5 Waltzes – Pristine Audio PASC 235
RAVEL: Ma mere l’oye–Suite; Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major; DEBUSSY: La Mer – Michel Block, piano/Berlin Philharmonic Orch./Carlo Maria Giulini – Testament SBT 1434
OTTORINO RESPIGHI: Belfagor Overture; Orchestral Suite: Belkis, Queen of Sheba; Four Symphonic Impressions: Church Windows – Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Holland/ Vladimir Ashkenazy – Exton multichannel SACD OVCL-00216
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Orchestral Suites = Suite from “Snow Maiden;” Suite from “Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya;” Third Act of “Mlada” (“Nuit sur le Mont Griglav”) – Russian National Orchestra/ Mikhail Pletnev – PentaTone multichannel SACD PTC 5186 362
How She Danced – String Quartets of ELENA RUEHR – Cypress String Quartet – Cypress String Quartet – Performing Arts Assoc.
Bidu Sayao, Vol. 2: Rare Live Radio Performances = Sel. of PERGOLESI, VERDI, BIZET, MASSENET, PONCE, MARTINI, FAURE, GRIEG, SCORAK, SCOTT, YOUNG, NILES, COWARD, etc. – Cembal d’amour CD 145
SCHOENBERG: Gurrelieder – Stig Andersen (Waldemar)/ Soile Isokoski (Tove)/ Monica Groop (Waldtaube)/ Ralf Lukas (Bauer)/ Andreas Conrad (Klaus-Narr)/ Barbara Sukowa (Sprecher)/ Philharmonia Voices/ City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus/ Philharmonia Orchestra/ Esa-Pekka Salonen – Signum multichannel SACD 173 (2 discs)
FLORENT SCHMITT: Psalm 47 “Gloire du Seigneur,”; La Tragedie de Salome – Andrea Guiot, sop./Gaston Litaize, organ/French National Radio Orch. and Chorus/Jean Martinon – HDTT HDCD 191
SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 4 in D Minor; TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4 in F Minor – Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Tchaikovsky)/Wilhelm Furtwaengler – Opus Kura OPK 7053
Carl Schuricht in Paris = BRAHMS: Ein deutsches Requiem; Symphony No. 4 in E Minor; BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor – Claudio Arrau, piano/Elfriede Troetschel, sop./Heinz Rehfuss, bar./Orch. National de France/ Schuricht – Tahra TAH 678-679 (2 CDs)
JOHN SHEPPARD: “Media vita” – Stile Antico – Harmonia mundi Multichannel SACD 807509
VALENTIN SILVESTROV: Liturgical Chants; Two Spiritual Songs; Two Spiritual Chants; Two Psalms of David; Diptych; Alleluia – Kiev Chamber Choir/ Mykola Hobdych – ECM 2117
Solomon, piano = Works of BEETHOVEN, SCHUMANN, BACH, CHOPIN, BRAHMS – Audite (2 CDs) 23.422
RICHARD STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life); WEBERN: Im Sommerwind – Chicago Symphony Orchestra/ Bernard Haitink – CSO-Resound multichannel SACD SCOR 901 1004
“Swiss Perspective: Trio Noté Bene” – RAFF: Piano Trio No. 1 – BLOCH: Three Nocturnes -HONEGGER: Piano Trio in F Minor -MARTIN: Trio on Popular Irish Folk Tunes – Claves 50-2912
Koussevitzky conducts TCHAIKOVSKY = Symphony No. 4 in F Minor; Waltz from Serenade for Strings; Serenade in C for Strings – Boston Symphony Orch./Serge Koussevitzky – Pristine Audio PASC 247
TCHAIKOVSKY: Suite No. 3 in G, Op. 55; STRAVINSKY: Divertimento “The Fairy’s Kiss” – Russian National Orchestra/Vladimir Jurowski – PentaTone multichannel SACD PTC 5186 061
The Cyprien Katsaris Archives, No. 20: THEODORAKIS: Suite No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra; Concerto No. 1; Symphony No. 2 “Das Lied der Erde” – Orchestre Sym. de RTL/Chorale Infantine “Princesse Marie-Astrid”/Mikis Theodorakis, p. – (2 CDs) P21 027
WAGNER: Parsifal (complete opera) – Mariinsky Soloists, Orch., and Chorus/ Valery Gergiev – Mariinsky multichannel SACD 0508 (4 discs)
JAZZ, POP, FOLK, WORLD (incl. Hi-Res)
Pablo Aslan – Tango Grill – Zoho Music ZM 201003
Eric Brace & Peter Cooper – Master Sessions – RBRCCD013 (Americana/Alt-Country)
Dave Brubeck – Legacy Of A Legend – Columbia/Legacy Records (2 CDs) 88677 80563 2
Barbara Carroll Trio – Something to Live For (Live at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola / Jazz at Lincoln Center) – Harbinger Records HCD 2601
Billy Childs Ensemble feat. the Ying Quartet – Autumn: In Moving Pictures (Jazz-Chamber Music Vol. 2) – ArtistShare AS 0104
Clayton Brothers – The New Song and Dance – ArtistShare AS0107
Clifford Brown – The Complete Emarcy Master Takes – Verve/ Emarcy/ Hip-O-Select B00121918-02  (4-CD box set) 1954-1956
Chick Corea – Solo Piano Improvisations 1 & 2; Children’s Songs – ECM 3-CD Set 2140-42
Miles Davis/Gil Evans – Sketches of Spain – Lew Soloff, trumpet/Harmonie Ensemble New York/Steve Richman – Sheffield Lab 1008
Gene Harris Quartet – Another Night in London – Resonance Records HCD-2006
Bill Henderson – Beautiful Memory – Ahuh Productions AP 1001
Hot Club Sandwich – And If Only – HCS 004
Chie Imaizumi – A Time of New Beginnings – Capri Records 74104-2
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey – One Day in Brooklyn – Brian Haas, piano (quartet) – Kinnara Records
Caterina Lichtenberg and Mike Marshall – Adventure Music AM1060 2 (Classical and Latin)
Bobby McFerrin – “Vocabularies” – Emarcy
Buddy Merriam – Back Roads Mandolin – Lily Pad Records No. 534 (Bluegrass)
Pat Metheny – Orchestrion – Nonesuch 516668-2
The Microscopic Septet – Friday the Thirteenth – The Micros Play Monk – Cuneiform Records Rune 310
Tim O’Brien – Chicken & Egg – Howdy Skies Records HS-CD-1005
Houston Person – Moment to Moment – High Note Records HCD 7217
Sinatra/Jobim – The Complete Reprise Recordings – Concord Music CRE-32026
Dr. Lonnie Smith – Spiral – Palmetto PM 2142
Treme – Music From The HBO Original Series, Season 1 – Geffen Records B0014910-02
Eberhard Weber’s Colours – Boxed set “Yellow Fields,” “Silent Feet” and “Little Movements” – (3 CDs) ECM 2133-35
MUSIC BLU-RAYS & DVDs (Classical, Jazz & Pop)
Bad Boy Made Good – The Revival of GEORGE ANTHEIL’s 1924 Ballet mécanique (2 DVDs) (2006)- Electronic Music Foundation EMF DVD 060
Louis Armstrong – Good Evening Ev’rybody (1970/2009) – Louis’ 70th Birthday at The Newport Jazz Festival – Image Entertainment ID6156EBDVD
J.S. BACH: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books I & II (2000/2010)
– four pianists: Andrei Gavrilov, Joanna McGregor, Nikolai Demidenko, Angela Hewitt – BBC Wales/EuroArts 2050308 (2 DVDs
BRAHMS: The Complete Violin Sonatas, Blu-ray (2010) – Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin/ Lambert Orkis, piano – DGG 00440 073 4618
Chamber Music Palisades Concert, Blu-ray (2010) – SHOSTAKOVICH: Piano Quintet Op. 57; DEBUSSY: Sonata for Flute, Viola & Harp;  &
BROCKMAN: Feast of Fives – AIX Records 80052
CILEA: Adriana Lecouvreur (complete opera, 2009), Blu-ray – ArtHaus B003IP2YGC
Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic – Inaugural Concert (2009) – Live from Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, Oct. 8, 2009 – DGG B0013638-09
Disney’s Fantasia & Fantasia 2000 – 4-disc Special Edition, Blu-ray (1939/2000/2010) – Walt Disney Studios 105512
Emil Gilels in Concert (1983-84/2009) – BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37; GRIEG: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16; encore: Adagio movement – VAI DVD 4472
A Handel Celebration (2009) – Soloists/The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra/ Harry Christophers – Coro 16083
HAYDN: The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross (original orchestral version) – Le Concert des Nations/Jordi Savall – Alia Vox 9868
HOLST: The Planets, An HD Odyssey, Blu-ray (2010) – The Houston Symphony/Women of the Houston Sym. Chorus/ Hans Graf – Houston Symphony
Jascha Horenstein Conducts Beethoven’s Ninth (1963/2010) – Doremi DVD DHR-7960
CHARLES IVES: Holidays Symphony – Keeping Score series, Blu-ray (2009) – Michael Tilson Thomas and San Francisco Symphony – SFS Media
Cyprien Katsaris Live in Shanghai (2005/2010) – Piano 21 DVD P 21 034-N
MAHLER: Symphony No. 1; PROKOFIEV: Piano Concerto No. 3, Claudio Abbado cond. – (2009/2010) EuroArts Blu-ray 2057964
MAHLER: Symphony No. 3 – Claudio Abbado, Blu-ray (2007/2009) – EuroArts/Medici Arts 2056334
Mendelssohn, the Nazis and Me (1996/2009) – Documentary by Sheila Hayman – BBC-TV
The Moody Blues – Threshold of a Dream – Live at the Isle of Wight Festival, Blu-ray  (1970/2010) – Eagle Vision EVBRD33361
“Nobel Prize Concert” – Martha Argerich & Yuri Temirkanov (2009/10) – SHOSTAKOVICH: Festive Overture; RAVEL: Piano Concerto in G; CHOPIN: Mazurka in C; PROKOFIEV: Suites 1 & 2 from Romeo and Juliet – EuroArts 2057898
OFFENBACH: Les Contes D’Hoffmann (complete opera) (2010) Conductor: Philippe Béziat – Bel Air Classiques BAC049
CARL ORFF: Carmina Burana Gala Concert, Blu-ray (2004/2010) – Soloists/The Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle – EuroArts 2053678
Güher & Süher Pekinel, pianos – Live in Concert (2009) – MOZART: Concerto No. 10 in E flat Major for Two Pianos; POULENC: Concerto in D minor; MILHAUD: Brazileira, from Scaramouche; BRAHMS: Sonata in F minor; LUTOSLAWSKI: Paganini Variations – ArtHaus Musik 101 349
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, piano – Solos – The Jazz Sessions (2010) – Original Spin Media/MVD Visual 16
Symphonic Django (2008) – 2007 concert video in Paris – Hot Club of Norway/Euforia 100028
Sondheim!, Blu-ray (2010) – Gala celebration at Avery Fisher Hall for Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim’s 80th Birthday – WNET/Image Entertainment
The Story of Jazz (1993/2009) – Dir. by Matthew Seig – Lower 5th/EuroArts/Medici TV 20571158
Sarah Vaughn – The Divine One (2010) – Masters of American Music series – EuroArts 2057128
WAGNER: Gotterdammerung, Blu-ray (2008/2009) – Soloist/Carl St. Clair, with Orchestra of the Weimar State Opera – ArtHaus Musik 101 360
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